It would be foolhardy to regard Chris Kreider, whom the Rangers recalled from the AHL Wolf Pack on Sunday, as a savior.

That mistake has been made before.

But the Blueshirts, who also recalled big, tough winger Brandon Mashinter from Hartford in a semi-makeover in the wake of Saturday’s sleepwalk of a 4-0 defeat at New Jersey, sure need Kreider to assert himself, and to provide speed and be a legitimate scoring threat as they attempt to avoid the bottom falling out of the season before even getting to the Garden next Monday for their home opener.

This is Kreider 3.0 after the playoff heroics two springs ago and last season’s, well, whatever that was. The 22-year-old winger, who started slowly in training camp, but finished it on the upswing before his assignment to the Wolf Pack, is likely to play with either Brad Richards and Derick Brassard on the first line or with Derek Stepan and J.T. Miller on the second line as the Rangers seek to bolster their attack.

The Rangers (2-5), shut out twice in the last four games, have scored 11 goals overall and just five at five-on-five. Stepan, Brassard, Brian Boyle. Mats Zuccarello, Benoit Pouliot and Taylor Pyatt have yet to score.

The recall of Mashinter, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound 25-year-old who played four games with the Blueshirts last season and who on Sunday exchanged places with Darroll Powe, indicates that management has taken notice of the team’s lack of size, strength and truculence.

As well, the additions of Kreider and Mashinter give the Blueshirts one spare forward on the roster. Thus, coach Alain Vigneault has at least one option up front heading into Thursday’s match in Philadelphia against the 1-7-0 Flyers.

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Martin Biron, the loquacious goaltender, announced his retirement Sunday in a move that was not unexpected once the Rangers assigned him to the Wolf Pack after he cleared waivers on Tuesday.

The Blueshirts will save the $375,000 cap charge going forward they would have absorbed had Biron, on the final season of a two-year deal worth $1.3 million per, opted to play in Hartford.

Biron had struggled in two appearances this year, surrendering nine goals on 38 shots in 70:41 (7.61 GAA, .763 save pct.). He was pulled from his lone start — his final NHL match — in St. Louis on Oct. 12 after two periods in which he allowed four goals on 17 shots in the Rangers’ 5-3 defeat.

The personable goaltender had been in his fourth year as Henrik Lundqvist’s backup after signing as a free agent on July 1, 2010. He had his greatest impact two years ago, going 12-6-2 in 20 starts before getting just five starts in last season’s truncated 48-game schedule.

Biron completed his 16-year NHL career with a record of 230-191-25-27 (25 ties, 27 OT/SO defeats) with 28 shutouts and a 2.62 GAA and .910 save pct. in 508 regular season appearances. He went 11-12 with two shutouts, a 2.87 GAA and .908 save pct. in the playoffs.

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The Rangers recalled goaltender Cam Talbot from the Wolf Pack on Sunday morning after the 26-year-old spent a refresher weekend in the AHL starting Friday and Saturday for Hartford. Jason Missiaen, who backed up Lundqvist Saturday night against the Devils, was returned to the Wolf Pack.